All-Star Team of Sponsors and Partners

Babe Ruth League, Inc. has become one of the leaders in youth sports and it would not have been possible without our many dedicated volunteers who give over and over again of their time and resources. Our volunteers are the very foundation of our organization, and we can never thank them enough.

We realize our volunteers rely heavily on the services and products offered by Babe Ruth League. This is why we work hard to address the demanding task our volunteers face each season to administer successful league programs and state organizations.

We are pleased to present you with a wide array of sponsors, prominent names in the youth sports industry, who are on hand to assist with raising funds and saving money on uniforms, equipment and other necessary essentials.

Shown below are some of the partners we have on board for 2017 to help you cover all of your bases from fundraising opportunities to equipment to apparel to insurance. For a complete listing of sponsors and licensed products, please visit the Babe Ruth League website at www.baberuthleague.org.

ANACONDA/BSN SPORTSAnaconda Team Sports has joined the BSN Sports Family. Their combined products and resources will provide you with more selection, convenience and better service. Anaconda/BSN serves as the official supplier to Babe Ruth League and can help stretch your league’s budget. They offer the lowest prices and have all the leagues’ needs covered, whether it’s baseballs, softballs, uniforms, bats, umpiring gear and field equipment.

The Babe Ruth Store, powered by Anaconda/BSN, offers a website that is very informative and easy to follow. Please visit www.baberuthleague.org and click on “Store” to see all of the sales programs offered. You may also feel free to contact Anaconda/BSN Sports directly at 1-800-327-0074.

FLASH STORE FUNDRAISING PROGRAM OFFERED BY ANACONDA/BSN SPORTSFlash stores are short-term online stores customized to fit your program’s needs. They can be set up to sell spirit wear, team uniforms, equipment or to track fundraising sales. Flash Stores benefit from easy accessibility and customization options. Flash Stores free up coaches from having to manage the logistics of traditional fundraising programs so they can get back to the thing they do best – coaching. For more information about setting up a Flash Store for your organization, contact Anaconda/BSN Sports at 1-800-327-0074.

OXI-CLEANOxiClean® is the “Official Stain Remover” of Babe Ruth League, Inc. An oxygen-based stain fighter that’s chlorine free and color safe, OxiClean®, is designed for maximum strength stain removal in your laundry and around your home. The team at OxiClean® understands participating in baseball and softball is a lot of fun, but it does result in some tough stain removals. We are excited to offer the Babe Ruth League membership a simple way to remove grass and dirt stains from baseball and softball uniforms. You no longer have to cringe during a game watching that uniform get dirty. By using OxiClean® and following these simple tips, you can keep it looking like new for longer:

Fit presoaking into the game plan. Get in the habit of immediately soaking soiled uniforms. Presoaking is just as important as washing when it comes to preserving the quality of uniforms beyond one season. The Babe Ruth League recommends soaking baseball uniforms in OxiClean® Versatile Stain Remover to remove dirt, grass, perspiration and even caked in red clay stains.

Activated by water, the unique OxiClean® ingredients go to work unleashing bubbling oxygen power for effective stain removal that is safe to use on whites AND colors.

MIX: 1 scoop (fill to line 4) per 1 gallon of water.

Submerge stained items in solution after dissolved.

SOAK: 1-6 hours.

Depending on severity of stain, some stains may require more time to soak.

WASH: as normal.

Bench Chlorine Bleach. If misused, bleach can damage uniforms by weakening fabrics and eating holes in the fabric. Instead, add a scoop of OxiClean®, along with your detergent, to every load of laundry to keep white baseball pants whiter and colored uniform tops brighter. This works great on jeans and school clothes too!

Strike Out the Dryer. Making sure uniforms are ready for every game can sometimes be a challenge, but no matter how much of a rush you’re in, do not put polyester uniforms in the dryer. The high heat can shrink the uniform and make letters and numbers crack, peel and bubble. The best option is to air dry clothes outside.

K&K INSURANCEFrom the first practice of the season to the World Series, K&K Insurance has you covered. They understand your insurance needs and have been the official insurance provider of Babe Ruth League, Inc. since 1988. The program includes:

Accident Medical

General Liability

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability

Equipment & Contents Insurance

Total commitment encompasses everything they do – from competitive coverage to prompt claims resolution. K&K Insurance is there to help you when you need them most. For further information, contact Babe Ruth Headquarters at 1-800-880-3142 or K&K Insurance at 1-800-736-7358.

FlipGiveFlipGive is one of Babe Ruth League’s most popular fundraising platforms. FlipGive combines the convenience of online shopping with the best of online fundraising. With FlipGive, you can earn up to 50% for your league by setting up an online Fundraising Campaign and selling offers such as eGift cards or eVouchers from local and national retailers.

Sell offers from top brands – Sell via their built-in email tool or by sharing their link on your social networks. Earn up to 50% when friends help – no distribution required.

FlipGive is complete free to set up and use for both fundraisers and supporters. You pay nothing from the moment you create your page to when you withdraw your funds. For further information or to get started, visit www.baberuthleague.or or https://baberuth.flipgive.com/.

COACHING EDUCATIONRooted in the philosophy of “Athletes first, winning second,” Human Kinetics is one of the premiere coaching education programs in the market today. As there is no one single action that can have more of a positive impact on our players than to improve the quality and knowledge of our managers and coaches, coaching certification is mandatory for all Babe Ruth league rostered managers and coaches. The Babe Ruth League Coaching Education Center, located at www.BabeRuthCoaching.org, offers several baseball and softball training courses. The website also provides many baseball and softball resources, and has a quick links menu on the home page which directs coaches and administrators to commonly used tools, including accessing courses and printing certificates.

MUSCO LIGHTINGMusco is proud to be a partner of Babe Ruth League, Inc. as the organization's Official Lighting Company. As part of the partnership, Musco Lighting annually awards four (4) Babe Ruth leagues with a $15,000 grant that can be used for the installation of a new lighting system or to refurbish an existing lighting system. Qualifying your league for consideration of a lighting grant is easy. First, fill out the Lighting Grant Application found on the Babe Ruth League website at www.baberuthleague.org. Along with the grant application, you must submit a lighting estimate sheet provided by your local Musco Lighting representative. For additional information, visit www.baberuthleague.org or www.musco.com/baberuth.

FRANKLIN SPORTSFranklin is the Official Batting Glove of Babe Ruth League. Their CFX PRO and PRO CLASSIC batting gloves are the best and most popular batting gloves available today. Not only has Franklin served as the Official Batting Glove of Major League Baseball for over 30 years, they have been the game day batting glove preference for such MLB greats as Mike Schmidt, Cal Ripken, Jr., Tony Gwynn and many other current and past MLB superstars.

Franklin Sports is proud to offer Custom Batting Gloves to all Babe Ruth League participants. Based on years of feedback from their customers and the growing demand for customization, they have perfected a custom batting glove website. This allows anyone to design a batting glove that fits their hands perfectly and their personality. And since many young players want to wear the same equipment on the field as their Major League idols, gearing up your child with personalized Franklin Batting Gloves as part of their official uniform will add to their excitement on the diamond and result in a more enjoyable and memorable season. Please visit http://franklinsports.com/shop/custom to customize your young athlete’s own Franklin batting gloves.

FIRST ADVANTAGEThe safety, protection and the well-being of our young players is always our top priority. This is why Babe Ruth League, Inc. emphasizes the importance of your league recruiting the most qualified adults to serve as managers, coaches, board members, and in any other volunteer position, to ensure our participants are able to enjoy a fun and educational experience in a safe environment. All Babe Ruth leagues are required to conduct nationwide background checks on all managers, coaches, board members, as well as any other persons and volunteers, who provide regular service to the league, and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams. This nationwide search must contain the applicable government sex offender registry data. A check conducted only in one state will not meet the minimum requirements of these regulations.

Babe Ruth League strongly recommends you team up with First Advantage. First Advantage is an online volunteer screening service designed for the nonprofit industry. It offers affordable access to criminal records, identity verifications and other credentialing information with the results of these searches available within minutes. First Advantage provides innovative, cost effective, background check solutions that help provide a safe environment for the youth we serve. For further information, please visit: /background-checks.aspx

LIFETOUCH SPORTSLifetouch Sports, the official photographer of Babe Ruth League, has been capturing precious memories for 80 years. Their sports division is changing the landscape of team photography. Already working with thousands of programs just like Babe Ruth League, Lifetouch Sports is delivering PRO quality portraits at the highest level of service in the industry. And they are helping these programs raise those needed operational funds.

There is nothing better that immortalizing your young athlete’s experience than with a team photo or by capturing them on the field at their focused and candid moments. Lifetouch Sports understands no two leagues are the same. Enjoy additional customized bonuses to meet your needs. You call the play. Experience the Lifetouch difference. Contact them today, and they will create your ideal program. Email them at sportssales@lifetouch.com, visit http://info.lifetouchsports.com/ or to speak with a National League Sport Representative, call 855-485-5173.

RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODSRawlings is the official Tournament Baseball and Softball, as well as the Official Helmet of Babe Ruth League, Inc. Rawlings is the only brand baseball and softball to be used for all District, State, Regional and World Series competition. For further information, visit www.baberuthleague.org or http://rawlings.com/ .

Use these memorable gum packs at games and league events to increase your revenue and attendance at future league events. Include unique coupons to encourage fans to spend at the ballpark or at future events - concession stand items, souvenirs, raffles, car washes, social functions, picnics...and much more.

And most importantly, your gum packs can be customized to teams or individual players! There is no limit to what kind of awesome your creative genius will design! Leagues can create their own artwork or use BeBack's creative team of designers. For further information, visit http://www.bebackgum.com/, or contact BeBack via phone at 1-844-410-2611 or via email at awesome@bebackgum.com.

SIPLAYTeaming up with Sports Illustrated Play (SI Play) was a smart strategic move that has proved successful for Babe Ruth League, Inc. and its member Leagues and Commissioners.

SI Play and Babe Ruth League share a love for the game and a mission to get more kids active in baseball and softball. We do that by providing the best technology for Babe Ruth League administrators, helping make their jobs easier so they can focus on growing their programs. From online registration to professional websites to scheduling games, Babe Ruth League puts it all online so our volunteers can operate faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Building on more than 60 years as one of the most distinguished names in sports, SI Play provides powerful, yet simple tools and technology to help hundreds of thousands of teams of all shapes and sizes operate with peak efficiency and success. As a national leader in online management solutions for sports organizations, SI Play offers an unprecedented utility, content and social experience for its growing community of 10 million monthly users. The full-service technology enables youth sports administrators and coaches to manage a wide range of activities, all with the click of a button.

Anyone serving on a league board knows about the countless hours involved in managing a league. Simplify your baseball or softball league and team management with Sports Illustrated Play. Millions of people already use the Sports Illustrated Play tools to manage all aspects of their organization. What are you waiting for? Get started today. For further information, visit http://www.siplay.com/babe-ruth-league .

Baseball FactoryBaseball Factory has been named the Official Player Development and College Recruiting Partner of Babe Ruth League for players ages 12-18. The Baseball Factory was founded in 1994 by CEO Steve Sclafani to provide a service that would train and educate players on the college recruiting process. They are on a mission to help every baseball player know where he stands and how he can reach his full potential. It all starts with honest player evaluations. Once they see you, they help you. Learn how to stack up against players of your age and take advantage of their world-class player development program by getting started now. They have a passion for creating opportunities for baseball players and have helped thousands of kids over the past 20 years develop both on and off the field. Visit https://www.baseballfactory.com.

Smitty Officials ApparelSmitty Officials Apparel is a nationwide manufacturing leader of sports officials’ apparel with approximately 2,000 products in various styles and sizes. They were recently named the Official Uniform of the Babe Ruth League National Umpire Association (NUA). Beginning with the 2017 season, NUA patches will not be sold separately. Apparel with the official NUA patch will be available for purchase through any Smitty Certified Dealer or directly through Babe Ruth League by visiting the online store (http://store.baberuthleague.org). Such apparel will be sold at discounted rates to help NUA members save money when gearing up for the upcoming season. Look for specials on jackets, shirts (long and short sleeve), hats, pants, ball bags, belts, etc.

Swing XPSwing XP, a power series youth aluminum bat, has been named the Official Training Bat of Babe Ruth League. The Swing XP concept is to improve a batter’s hitting skills by improving swing mechanics and eliminating the use of devices and practices that have been passed down in baseball for generations, but which science have proved to not do what they have been thought to do, and that actually are harmful to the baseball swing. Swing XP bats feature a proprietary weighted handle that pulls the batter’s hands through the swing zone, allowing the batter to FEEL what it’s like to lead with their hands and knob and take the ideal path to the ball and not cast. Their weighted handle is like having a big engine in your hands that drives them through the swing zone. Repeated swings with the Swing XP bat helps players develop the muscle memory that will result in improved hitting mechanics, bat speed and performance when they swing the lighter game bat. With Swing XP bats players get immediate feedback if their swing gets too long and outside of the desired swing plane. The extra weight in the handle area will cause the player to feel more stress in their forearms from an over-extended swing. This is valuable feedback that players do not get with the lighter game bat, or bats with weighted devices on the barrel, and lets the player know they need to keep their hands inside and not cast. This bat is great for live batting practice, tee work, and all types of hitting drills.

Chalk BitesBabe Ruth League is proud to announce Chalk Bites as the Official Umpire Training of the National Umpires Association. This video training has been added to the NUA certification process and delivers training to every umpire via Mobile App and PC Browser Access in seconds. Chalk Bites’ materials include content on the strike zone, signaling, foul tips, plate mechanics, and much more. This training will definitely help every NUA member sharpen their skills for the 2017 season.

Under Armour Sunglasses

Babe Ruth League, Inc. is proud to name Under Armour Eyewear as its official sunglasses. The partnership between Under Armour and Babe Ruth League presents the ideal platform to highlight the importance of young athletes protecting their eyes from harmful UVA/B/C rays. The new Under Armour Eyewear performance and core styles feature superior lenses that protect players 100% from harmful UVA/B/C rays. The Under Armour exclusive Armoursight lens is significantly stronger compared to average sports sunglasses. They are equipped with a lens coating that protects from scratches and messy smudges. The frames are made with a technology that encourages airflow, so sweat buildup and other uncomfortable roadblocks would be nonexistent. They are also made with titanium for above average flexibility and strength, therefore the odds of breaking these sunglasses are unlikely. The adjustable nose-pad guarantees a proper fit as well. Under Armour eyewear was designed for players who spend many hours outdoors. They come in many styles that young players want, and that deliver on their joint vision of helping players perform their best under the safest conditions. For further information, please visit https://uaeyewearpro.com/ or www.baberuthleague.org .

Cherrydale & Otis Spunkmeyer FundraisingCherrydale & Otis Spunkmeyer, official partners of Babe Ruth League, are your one-stop shop for all your fundraising needs and ideas. Their programs offer a wide variety of fundraising products, rewards, and incentives to help your league surpass your goals. They are your go-to source with 100+ years of experience combined with cutting-edge fundraising ideas.